"As I promised in May, we intended to launch STABILO-ELL vehicle in autumn of 2008. There were several events that forced us to delay the launch.

First, we are switching from monopropellant to hybrid propulsion. Inevitable, this lead to delays. The hybrid propulsion is the one that we are using for the Google Lunar X Prize Competition. STABILO was designed to become the ELEâ€™s first stage and we planed to use hybrid propulsion for this launch.

Second, when we were about to start the propulsion tests, a personal health problem prevented me to work within the team. The tests were put on hold. I wasnâ€™t available for about three months.

Finally, the team focused on the Haas orbital rocket launcher and on our governmental programs.

The team resumed the work on the Stabilo-ELL suborbital vehicle two month ago, after my return. We rescheduled the Stabilo-ELL launch for the begining of 2009. We hope to avoid further delays. For this end of the year I just hope that you will enjoy the Haas vehicle. We wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!" - Dumitru Popescu, ARCA Team Leader

Helen will be using a gravitational stability method in vertical flight without aerodynamic surfaces or jet commands, by towing the component stages and payload. The towing can be made by cable, or rigid-articulated system.In order to have a stabilized rocket in vertical flight, in gravitational field, this method is using a towed mass in the same direction with the thrust. This mass consists in the next rocket stages and payload. The stability effect depends of several elements: the mass of the stabilized body, the mass of the towed mass and the length between the centers of gravity of the stabilized body and the stabilizer body.This method can be applied in the extra atmospheric space on vertical ascendant or descendent trajectory under the influence of gravitational field.

Yes, this is the point. By building a non-rigid structure, we create 2 systems: the rocket (for instance stage 1) and the rest (cables, next stages and capsule). This second system is connected with 4 cables that converge to a point below the first system. The first system is rigid. If this system has let's say a 5 degrees angle left from the vertical, the tension in the 4 wires will be different. The non-rigid system below will not have this 5 degrees angle from the vertical. Therefore, the tension on the wires that are connected closer to the right side will be much higher then the tension from the wires that are connected closer to the left side. If we decompose this forces, we get a small horizontal force applied at the bottom of the first system, oriented towards the left. This will tend to stabilize the rocket.

The math is complicated, there are lots of variables. We will encounter oscillations in the cables, shocks when starting the engine, other effects because there is still a thin atmosphere out there. However, it works in our simulations. Very soon we'll see how it works for real.

And, do you believe Robert Goddard (and so many early rocket experimentalists) was so idiot that he did not realize (after his failed test from 1926) that a non rigid structure, a rocket composed from two parts tied to each other with ropes would fix his instability problems?

Come with facts people from ARCA, prove using Newton's laws that your Popescu-Diaconu method is not a fallacy.

1) The launch will be in October 2009. The exact date is not known.2) ARCA should postpone the launch and rethink the stabilization mechanism of Helen rocket. Otherwise, it will simply crash.More details can be found at the following link::http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/forum- ... &start=105